Lighter construction



July 3, 1951 C, A, FORTlN 2,559,497

LIGHTER CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 30, 1949 Patented July 3, 1951 LIGHTERCONSTRUCTION Charles A. Fortin, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assignor toPaul Pouliot, Cote des Neiges, Montreal, Quebec, lCanada ApplicationNovember 30, 1949, Serial No. 130,234

(Cl. (S7-7.1)

6 Claims.

I nim duction This invention relates to automatic pyrophoric lightersfor cigarettes or cigars.

There have been many designs proposed for lighters of this type and manypatents granted. v

Many of these lighters are most serviceable, but they possess certaindisadvantages in the mechan'isrn, making them difficult to manufactureand in some cases dfcult to operate.

One of the more common disadvantages of prior designs is that they aredifficult to operate. One type depends on straight downward pressure ofthe thumb. In this type, the thumb pressure acts directly against thespring pressure. The more you press the greater the resistance of thespring. This means that the lighting movement instead of beingaccelerated towards the end of the stroke is slowed up by the increasingresistance o1" the spring.

Other lighters have a diagonal movement which is more horizontal thanvertical. In this type, the return spring for the actuating lever ishighly subject to breaking or else if the spring is not strong enough itwill not return the lever to closed position.

The applicant recognizes these problems and aims to provide a novelguiding and resilient return means for the actuating lever of a lighterof this nature which avoids the disadvantages of both of the prior arttypes but also possesses their advantages.

Applicants development Accordingly, the present invention is anactuating lever guide means whereby the actuating lever of a pyrophoriclighter is guided in a downward and rearward motion on depression of thelever and a resilient return spring arrangement that co-operates withthe lever guiding means to return the actuating lever to its originalposition in an upward and forward motion.

More specifically, the present invention is embodied in a pyrophoriclighter of the type having a casing constituting a fuel reservoir, anactuating lever mounted on top ofthe casing above the fuel reservoirwith a snuier cap or wick cover pivotally connected to the actuatinglever that is adapted to rise when the 'actuating lever is depressed. Inaccordance with the invention the end of the actuating lever remote fromthe snuiTer cap is pivotally connected to a lever guide member that isanchored for pivotal movement tothe top of the lighter casing. Thislever guide member is disposed so that depression of the actuating levercauses it to move in an arcuate motion, the

end anchored to the casing serving as the radius of the arc with thepivotal connection to the actuating lever guiding the travel of thismember downwardly and rearwardly.

Preferably, the lever guiding member is of a substantially U-shaped formwith the legs of the U pivotally connected adjacent the ends to a pinextending across the actuating lever. The base portion of the U-shapedlever guiding member is pivotally connected between a pair of upstandinglugs on a bracket that is mounted on the top Aof the lighter casing. Thereturn spring arrangement for the actuating lever comprises of .a coilspring that is pivotally connected between .the actuating lever and aspring anchoring member mounted in the upper portion of thelightercasing by means of a pair of spring compressing members. Thespring compressing and connecting members are of an elongatedsubstantially U-shaped form and are arranged so that `the legs of themembers pass through the spring with the ends of the legs bent outwardss0 as to engage the opposite ends of the spring. The loop portion of oneof the members is ypivotally connected `to the pin pivotally connectingthe lever guiding member and the actuating lever, and the Vloop portionof the other member is pivotally connected to the spring anchoringmember so that ldepression of the actuating lever pulls the springdepressing members in opposite directions through the spring and thuscompresses ythe spring inwardly at both ends by means of the hookportions at the end of the legs. When the actuating lever is releasedthe spring expands so as to draw the spring compressing members towardseach other and thus raises the actuating lever upwards and forwards toits original position.

As an alternative construction the block pivotally mounting the leverguiding member is elongated and is centrally bored for at least aportion of its length so as to accommodate a coil spring. This elongatedblock is also slotted `at both sides axially of the boring and a leverarm is pivotally connected to the lever guiding member, as in thepreferred construction, and also includes a pin projecting at rightangles that is adapted to ride in the slot so as to engage and compressthe spring when the guiding lever is moved downwards and rearwardly.Thetmotion of the actuating lever in this form ci construction is thesame as previously described.

Detailed description Having thus generally described the nature of theinvention, particular reference will be made to the accompanyingdrawings, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side View in perspective elevation of a lighter embodyingan actuating lever guiding and return arrangement constructed inaccordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the lighter construction of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section of Figure 4-4.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view in perspective elevation of thespring and guiding lever arrangement.

Figure 6 is a sectional view corresponding to Figure 3 illustrating thelever and spring in the depressed position.

Figure 7 is a sectional View of a portion of a lighter constructionillustrating an alternative form of a lever return spring arrangement.

Referring more particularly to the drawing illustrating a preferred formof pyrophoric lighter embodying an actuating lever guide means and leverreturn spring means constructed in accordance with the invention, themain body of the lighter is made up of a casing I!) having a base I2 anda top portion I4 press tted into the ends .of the casing I0 so as toprovide a reservoir A adapted to contain lighter duid. The base I2 isprovided with an opening and a closure screw I3 so as to provide a meansfor lling the reservoir A and a wick tube I6 and flint tube I8 areprovided that respectively extend into and through the reservoir A; f

Y The end of the flint tube I8` extends slightly 2 along the line beyondthe surface of the top portion i4 and is provided with an outstandingflange 2@ through which the flint B protrudes when the lighter is inoperative condition.

The operative portion of the lighter is mounted on a substantiallyU-shaped bridge portion 22 that includes a base and upstanding flangesat each side of the base portion. Preferably, the anges of the bridgeportion 22 are formed so'as to accommodate the usual arrangement of anabrasive spark wheel 24, a ratchet spring, and a snuifer cap-or wickcover 26. This arrangement is rotatably mounted between the flanges ofthe bridge portion 22 so that the upwardly movement of the snuffer cap2S rotates the wheel 24. This portion of the lighter is common and iswell known in the art.

The base portion of the bridge portion 22 illustrated is provided with acentrally disposed U- shaped slot which, when the bridge 22 is mountedon the top portion I4, slidably lits under the flange 2S of the sparktube I8.

An actuating level1 3B, having a substantially U-shaped form in generalcross section, is mounted between the flanges of the bridge portion 22and is pivotally connected at each side to the snufer cap 25 so thatdepression of the lever 30 is adapted to raise the cap 23.

The actuating lever S8 illustrated is formed so as to have a projectingportion 32 adapted to be engaged by the thumb of the operator and asubstantially U-shaped lever guiding member K 34 is pivotally connectedto the actuating lever 30 by a pin 36 extending across the lever. Thebase portion of the guiding member 34 is pivotally mounted on asupporting block 33 anchored to the base portion of the bridge 22 bymeans of a screw 4i) that passes through the block 38 of the bridge 22and is threadably engaged in a tapped opening provided in the topportion I4.

A spring anchoring member 42 mounted in spaced apart relationship fromthe supporting block 38 includes a screw threaded end that also passesthrough the bridge portion 22 to threadably engage with a further tappedopening provided in the top portion I4. This arrangement makes theremoval of the entire top portion of the lighter a simple matter. Bymerely removing the spring anchoring member 42 and the screw 4!) theslot in the base of the bridge 22 can be slid back from engagement withthe flange 20 of the flint tube I8 and the whole top can be lifted fromthe main body of the lighter.

With particular reference to Figure 5 of the drawings illustrating thepreferred arrangement of the resilient return means for the actuatinglever, a spiral spring 44 is provided and is connected between thespring anchor member 42 and the actuating lever 3U by a pair of springcompressing members 46, 43. Each of the members 4E, 48 are formed toconstitute an elonf gated substantially U-shaped member, the loopportion 45 of the member 46 surrounding the pin S so as to form apivotal connection, with the legs 47 of the member 45 passing throughthe spring 44, the ends of the legs 41 being bent outwardly to formhooks 49 adapted to engage the end of the spring. The loop portion 5I]of the other of the spring compressing member 43 is placed around thespring anchoring member 42 with the legs 5I passing through the springand terminating in hooks 52 adapted to engage the end of the spring 44opposed from the end engaged by the hooks 49 of the member 4&3. Withthis arrangement, when the actuating lever 36 is depressed the leverguiding member 34 moves in an arc about the pivot point SE and so guidesthe lever 3i) downwardly and rearwardly. With this motion the members46, 48 are pulled past each other in opposite directions, the hookedends 49, 52 compressing the spring 44. Upon release of the actuatinglever 3i! the spring 44 expands forcing the hooked ends 49, 5l away fromeach other thus reducing the effective combined length of the members46, 4S and returning the actuating lever 30 to its original position in'a forward and upward movement.

An alternative lever return spring arrangement is shown in Figure '7. Inthis embodiment the supporting block 33 is replaced by an elongatedblock 'IB that includes aslotted end portion 72 to which one end of alever guide member I34 is pivotally mounted as indicated at '14. Theother end of the lever guide member is pivotally mounted to theactuating lever 36 by means of a pin 1S. The block 'Ill is bored toprovide a chamber 'i8 adapted to house a coil spring 85, and is alsoslotted at both sides axially of the chamber I8 as indicated at 82. Alever member 81 pivotally connected at one end to the lever guide memberI34 by means of the pin 'I6 includes a pin 85 extending at right anglesfrom the other end that is adapted to ride in the slots provided intheblock I and so compress the spring Si! within the spring housing chamber18.

The block I0 includes an extended end portion 88 having an opening toaccommodate a screw 92 that passes through the bridge 22 to threadablyengage in a tapped opening in the lighter top portion I4. A secondopening 94 completely through the block 'IIB allows a second screw 96 toalso pass through the bridge 22 and engage with the top portion I4 sothat the entire top portion of the lighter may be easily removed aspreviously described. With this arrangement the motion of the actuatinglever 30 pivots the lever guide member |34 about the pivot point M andthe lever arm 84 through the pin 85 compresses the spring 80 within theblock 10. On release of the actuating lever 30 the spring 80 urges thepin 85 outwards and the lever arm S4 returns the lever guiding member inan upward and forward arc, returning the actuating lever 30 to itsoriginal position.

I claim:

1. In a lighter, a casing constituting a fuel reservoir, an actuatinglever mounted over said reservoir, a snuffer cap pivotally connected tosaid actuating lever and adapted to rise on depression of said lever, alever guiding member having one end pivotally connected to saidactuating lever with the other end anchored for pivotal movement to sail casing above said fuel reservoir, a spring anchoring member mounted onsaid casing above said fuel reservoir, a coil spring mounted on saidcasing above said fuel reservoir in axial alignment with and beneathsaid actuating lever' with one end disposed ade jacent said leverguiding member and the other en d disposed adjacent said springanchoring member, at least one elongated spring compressing memberextending along the length of said spring and having one end pivotallyconnected to said lever guiding member adjacent said actuating leverwith the other end engaging the end of said coil spring remote from saidlever guiding member, said lever guiding member being normally disposedat an acute angle relative to a perpendicular line through the pivotalconnection of said lever guiding member with said casing, whereby saidspring compressing member is adapted to be placed in tension by thedepression of said actuating lever and said tension is adapted to causethe spring engaging end of said spring compressing member to movetowards said lever guiding member and compress said coil spring betweensaid spring compressing member and said spring anchoring member.

2. In a lighter as claimed in claim l, wherein said elongated springcompressing member eX- tends through said coil spring.

3. In a lighter, a casing constituting a fuel reservoir, an actuatinglever mounted on said casing, a snuffer cap pivotally connected to saidactuating lever and adapted to rise on depression of said lever, a leverguiding member having one end pivotally connected to said actuatinglever with the other end anchored for pivotal movement to said casingabove said fuel reservoir, a spring anchoring member mounted on saidcasing in spaced apart relationship from said lever guiding member, andresilient actuating lever return means including a coil spring in axialalignment with and extending beneath said actuating lever, a rst springcompressing member passingv through said spring and being pivotallyconnected to said actuating lever adjacent said lever guiding member, asecond spring compressing member passing through said spring and beingpivotally connected to said spring anchor member, whereby said first andsecond spring compressing members are adapted on depression of saidactuating lever to compress said spring simultaneously from both ends,and release of said actuating lever allows said spring to expand andreturn said actuating lever to its original position.

4. A lighter as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the springcompressing members are of substantially elongated U-shaped form withthe legs of the U passing through the spring and having the ends of thelegs bent to constitute hooks adapted to contact one of the ends of thespring, the members being disposed within the spring in opposedrelationship so that both ends of the spring are engaged, wherebymovement of said spring compressing members in opposite directions isadapted to compress said spring between said hook-shaped ends. y

5. In a lighter, the combination of a casing constituting a fuelreservoir, an actuating lever mounted on said reservoir, a snuffer cappivotally connected to said actuating lever adapted to rise ondepression of said lever, a lever guiding member having one endpivotally connected to said actuating lever with the other end pivotallymounted on a spring retaining block, said spring retaining block beingmounted on said casing and including a substantially centrally disposedrecess disposed in axial alignment with and beneath said actuatinglever, a coil spring mounted in said recess, a lever means between saidlever guiding member and spring retaining block adapted to compress saidspring within said block on depression of said lever.

6. A lighter as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spring retaining blockis slotted at both sides along the axis of said recess, and said springcompressing lever means comprises a lever member extending the length ofsaid block and having one end pivotally connected to said lever guidingmember with a pin projecting from the other end adapted to ride in saidslots and engage the end of said spring housed within said block.

CHARLES A. FORTIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 382,440 Great Britain Oct. 27, 1932583,773 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1946 604,345 Great Britain July 1, 1948

